Chapter 26. Twin Moons in the Sky, All Life Evolves

Hu City.

It was around 7 p.m. on August 31st.

Some people, having just finished dinner, were out for a stroll to help with digestion.

The streets bustled with life. Cars clogged the roads, shopfronts glowed with warm, inviting light, and neon signs flickered atop skyscrapers. The city was alive and vibrant, just like any other night.

The metropolis exuded its unique charm. Locals enjoyed the conveniences of urban life, while the city continued to draw people from every corner of the country.

"Daddy, daddy, I want that candied hawthorn!"

On a smaller side street, a little girl around five or six years old—her hair tied into two playful buns—pointed eagerly at a vendor up ahead, pouting sweetly at her parents.

Her young parents exchanged amused glances, and soft smiles tugged at their lips.

The father scooped the girl into his arms, and his voice was laced with affection as he said, "Alright, alright, Daddy will get one for you."

“You're spoiling her,” the mother said with a faint sigh, though she followed along and helped pick the ripest, shiniest skewer for their daughter.

The little girl grabbed the candied hawthorn and took a big bite. Her eyes sparkled with pure joy.

Scenes like this, warm, ordinary moments in a place full of life, played out all over the city.

But then, the little girl tilted her head up toward the sky, searching for the moon and stars.

"Mommy, look! There are two moons in the sky!

"What are you talking about, how could there possibly be two—" the mother began, ready to correct her, but as she looked up, her voice faltered and her expression froze.

"What's wrong?" the father asked with a chuckle. "Don't tell me there are really two moons." He figured his wife and daughter were teaming up to tease him.

But the moment he looked up, his smile vanished. His eyes widened in disbelief.

There, suspended in the night sky, were two radiant full moons.

They floated side by side in the sky, separated by only a sliver of space. Though it wasn't supposed to be a full moon night, both moons gleamed like flawless jade discs, casting silvery light across the land.

But if one looked closely, that moonlight carried with it faint, unsettling traces of crimson.

It was unbelievable. There really were two moons in the sky.

Apart from the family of three, everyone on the street saw it too.

The twin moons hung high, flawless and pure white against the dark canvas of the night. Surrounding them were countless stars, each one gleaming like diamonds scattered across the heavens.

But unlike their usual scatter, the stars had gathered into a radiant stream—a vast, flowing river of light that stretched endlessly across the sky. They shimmered and pulsed, forming a brilliant constellation belt.

In a bustling modern city, such a sight should've been impossible to witness. Urban light pollution would have long drowned it out. Yet tonight, the stars were simply too bright. Their brilliance cut through everything. Compared to before, their intensity was on an entirely different level.

And this strange celestial phenomenon wasn't confined to just one place. It was happening all over the world.

Even countries in different time zones were suddenly plunged into darkness. Above them, the same stars and twin moons appeared; the entire planet was witnessing the same night sky.

Boom!

Without warning, a bolt of blood-red lightning tore across the sky, splitting the heavens open. It stretched far into the horizon like a jagged scar. A deafening rumble followed, shaking the earth to its core. Alongside it came an indescribable force, an aura that seeped into the hearts of every living creature.

People were reminded of the string of unusual events that had led to this night. The unease they had tried to suppress erupted into full-blown panic. In Huaxia especially, celestial omens had always carried great weight. They signaled either immense fortune or devastating disaster.

Everyone could feel it: the world was changing.

But while ordinary citizens trembled in confusion and dread, the great powers who had long known what was coming—Wuzhou Group, Longevity Genetics, Skygod Technologies and others—were thrilled.

Because they knew that the new era they had been preparing for was finally here.

Their

era.

At once, orders were issued from the top. Carefully laid plans were set into motion.

Those with mysterious bloodlines, like Zhou Yunqiong, retreated into seclusion.

They could feel it clearly. An ancient power was awakening within, roaring like a slumbering volcano about to erupt.

And it wasn't just humans that were changing.

Deep in the mountains, a golden eagle burst into flight. Its body expanded at an astonishing rate as it radiated a brilliant golden aura, and its wingspan stretched over a thousand meters.

In a quiet stream, an ancient python—so old it was impossible to guess its age—jumped out of the water. Twin horns sprouted from its head, and beams of sacred light spilled from its form. It was transforming into a flood dragon.

Elsewhere, an ancient tree erupted skyward. Its crown blotted out the sky, and each leaf shimmered like a star.

Even the wild grasses, vines, and weeds were shifting—evolving.

All living things were awakening.

In some cities, the ground cracked open as the earth itself twisted. Roads once a few hundred meters apart stretched into kilometers.

In small towns, towering mountains erupted from the soil and climbed skyward, forming new ranges that emanated a primal, ancient energy.

Ancient sacred lands like Mount Hulong, Mount Jiuhua, Mount Tai, and the Qinling range were suddenly bathed in radiant, divine light, each shone in a different hue. It was as if, in the next breath, they would transform into true immortal mountains, becoming realms of myth and legend.

Everything was changing.

And no one, human or otherwise, could escape it.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of Hu City...

As the world outside surged with earthshaking change, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in quiet meditation within the courtyard of his villa.

Overhead, the twin moons hung high.

"It has started..." he muttered. His gaze flickered as he looked to the sky. Even though he had already lived through this once before, it was impossible to remain unaffected when facing it again.

Of course, Lu Yuan knew this was only the beginning. The real transformation would come after midnight—when the calendar turned to September 1st.

So, Lu Yuan remained seated, his eyes fixed on the ancient Bodhi Tree before him.

So he remained still, his eyes fixed on the ancient Bodhi Tree before him.

Legend said that the Buddha himself had attained enlightenment beneath such a tree. In this world, there was no relic more sacred.

Time continued to tick by.

9 p.m....

10 p.m....

11 p.m....

Midnight!

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

At the stroke of twelve, the strange aura in the air surged. Heaven and earth trembled, and across the world, every living being felt something, something unexplainable, ancient, and profound, stirred deep within their hearts.

Back in the villa's courtyard, the Bodhi Tree began to change.

Each emerald leaf released rays of divine light. Upon closer look, one could see intricate symbols appearing on their surfaces. Each depicted a meditating monk in deep contemplation, as if each symbol contained infinite wisdom, capable of revealing the truths of the universe.

Golden veins spread across the tree's trunk, pulsing with mysterious brilliance.

Behind the canopy, radiant halos emerged one after another, like miniature suns. They shone brilliantly, casting their glow over the entire courtyard.

In that moment, the Bodhi Tree seemed to have attained enlightenment. It exuded the presence of a being about to transcend into true Buddhahood, ascending toward a realm of ultimate wisdom.

Lu Yuan's eyes lit with awe. Even with the memories of his past life, this was the first time he'd witnessed the Bodhi Tree in its transformed state. Just standing beneath it allowed thoughts that once confounded him to fall into place, as if mysteries were now effortlessly unraveling.

Around him, the other divine treasures began to respond. Each one glowed with unique brilliance and floated into the air, suspended like celestial relics.

"Now, it's my turn!" Lu Yuan said calmly. He rose to his feet and walked forward, step by steady step. Then he lifted his right hand and pressed it against the trunk of the Bodhi Tree.

My path to the absolute peak starts from this day on!